RESERVES CLAIM BURTON VICTORY

A single goal from defender James King proved enough to give City reserves a deserved victory over Burton Albion this Tuesday afternoon in their penultimate Central League fixture of the season.

Played at City's Apperley Bridge training ground, the match was settled by a seventy-fourth minute winner from King after the centre half headed in from a cross via Matthew Penney.

The home victory is the Bantams' second on the trot in the Central League following last Wednesday's 2-1 success over Morecambe.

Along with King and Penney, fellow professionals Joe Cracknell, Daniel Devine, Jacob Hanson and Daniel Pybus also featured in the Burton encounter.

City could have taken the lead as early as the third minute when the hard-working Pybus fed Reece Powell into space just inside the box but the striker fired straight at Brewers shot-stopper Harry Campbell.

Sam Wright - King's centre half partner on the day - nearly scrambled the ball home from a Penney corner shortly afterwards, while Pybus also saw a shot saved by Campbell in the early exchanges.

From another Penney corner later in the half, an unmarked Kwame Boateng headed narrowly wide with a downward header, as City continued to look the more likely scorers as the period progressed.

After providing a threat for the Bantams with his corner deliveries, Penney went as close as any Bradford player ten minutes before the break when his free-kick from just outside the box hit the top of the post.

Burton's best opening of the first half arguably came soon after but Marcus Harness shot over from deep inside the area as the ball fell his way following a short corner from the visitors.

Looking to have a greater say in the contest, Burton actually started the second period brightly, with Ben Hart firing over with a rising strike after driving into the box.

Ben Fox also curled a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box after being teed up by Joel Steer.

City were soon back into their stride, however, and a lung-bursting surge from Jacob Hanson, who was full of running throughout, saw the right back eventually fire across the six yard box and just out of the reach of Powell in the middle.

Never one to turn down an opportunity to shoot, Pybus then drove just wide with a left-footed effort from outside the box.

Eventually City's probing and pushing paid off when they netted what turned out to be the match-winner just over fifteen minutes from the end.

After his initially corner delivery had been cut out, Penney crossed back into the box with his weaker right foot and King, who skippered the side, was on hand to power home a header into the corner.

It was no more than the Bantams' had deserved, and they could have added further gloss to the scoreline in the game's closing stages.

Pybus fired wide with another effort from outside the box, while Campbell had to get a strong left hand to Neil Patience's driven centre across goal to prevent a potential tap-in for second half substitute Casey Taglione.